Kazakhstan bought Israeli technologies for producing military radio equipment

Kazakhstan bought Israeli technologies for producing military radio equipment, IzRus writes. The agreement with Elbit Systems was signed during the visit of Director General of Kazakhstan company Delta IT Vladimir Chaplenko to Israel. He also visited several facilities of Elbit Systems and saw their production methods. According to the source, the information on the visit was confirmed by Kazakhstan embassy that took part in the meeting. The embassy noted that the agreement was signed under the State Program of Accelerated Industrial Development and the Program for Modernization of Communications of Kazakhstan Military Forces. Earlier Tengrinews.kz English reported that Kazakhstan was also interested in Israeli drones . The delegation headed by the vice president of the state holding Kazakhstan Engineering Vadim Shakshakbaev visited Israel in January 2012. The Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan officials also took part in the negotiations. The delegation visited the sites of two Israeli defense industry companies: Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Elbit Systems. The visit of Kazakhstan party to Israel is perhaps one of the signs for renewal of the connections in military industry that have been frozen after a row around supplies of Israeli equipment to Kazakhstan in 2009. Back then Kazakhstan Vice-Minister of Defense Kazhimurat Maermanov and the commercial agent Boris Sheinkman were apprehended. Kazakhstan lost 14 billion tenge ($94.6 million) over violations in the contracts with Israeli companies. According to the documents, a joint production of up-to-date artillery systems Naiza, Aibat and Semser was planned. But the deals with the Israeli companies were declared illegal. Later the court pled Maermanov guilty of corruption crimes, abuse of authority, bribetaking and excessive use of powers. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Boris Sheinkman was sentenced to the same prison term.